1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to connector method and apparatus for coupling together two systems or combinations of systems, for example, vessels such as pipes, conduits, chambers, tanks or the like to provide intercommunication between them while automatically excluding the environment from the system interiors during and after the coupling operation and while preventing any dilution of or loss of the fluid or vacuum within the interiors of the two respective systems.
In many connector applications it is important to exclude the environment from the interior of the systems being coupled together. For example, electrical cables connected together underwater should be insulated and isolated from the water environment to prevent short circuiting. Interconnection of systems containing volatile or combustible chemicals is desirably accomplished while excluding the atmosphere or air environment to prevent explosion or unnecessary dilution or evaporation. When connecting evacuated systems together it is important to exclude the atmosphere to maintain integrity of the vacuum inside the systems. Conversely, when making connection between systems in an evacuated environment it is important to prevent escape of the atmosphere contained within the systems into the surrounding vacuum, that is, it is important to "exclude" the vacuum of the environment from the atmosphere contained within the systems. Many other applications in which the present invention may be used to advantage are discussed further below.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have been attempts in the past to interconnect two systems, but these have involved the loss of fluid from within the systems in order to scavenge out the interlocking apparatus or alternatively have required the use of a vacuum pump to scavenge out the interlock. Typically such prior art connectors comprise two valves each mounted on one of two systems to be interconnected. A conduit is connected to each valve; the environment is removed, i.e. pumped out or scavenged, from the interconnecting conduit; and the valves are then both opened to permit flow of the medium contained in the systems therethrough.
For example, to make such a coupling underwater between two tanks, a conduit is first used to interconnect two valves, one valve being associated with each tank. Water is then evacuated or pumped out of the interconnecting conduit and then the valves are finally opened to provide a watertight connection between two tanks. A similar connection may be used between vacuum chambers and necessitates evacuation by laboriously pumping out the interconnecting conduit prior to opening the two vacuum chambers to it.
Prior art interconnection methods and apparatus of the type described above for scavenging or pumping out the environment from the interconnecting conduit between systems are not entirely satisfactory. These prior art interconnections require auxiliary pumps or other scavenging devices to remove the environment from the interconnecting conduit prior to opening the valves to provide flow of the medium between the systems. The interconnection and environment removing operations are time consuming, laborious, complicated and sometimes costly. Also, some of the fluid media within the systems may become lost or wasted in filling up the interconnecting conduit or in scavenging out the intruding environment.